Redneck High

After Friday and Saturday's weirdness — where I won a bet I had no business winning (Pitt/Cincinnati) and lost two bets on unusual plays in overtime (Clemson/BC, Texas Tech/UTEP) — hitting both of my Sunday NFL games gave me a small profit on the weekend. Here are how Sunday's plays shook out:

9/10 RESULTS

Bengals (ML) at Chiefs - Win, $21/$20

Colts (-3) at Giants - Win, $20/$20.80

(For final scores, see the season record page.)

As always, I learn a little something new every time I place wagers. Here are some key things I learned this week:

1. Never bet on a Mike Leach-coached Texas Tech team. I won't say the man is out and out evil, but let's just say I doubt he casts a reflection in mirrors. He has screwed me time and time again on bets both for and against the Red Raiders. If I were a smart man I'd just let all Tech games pass me by with no action. Let's see if I can stick to that rule.
2. If I feel strongly about a game based on a holistic overview of the teams, it's a mistake to be talked out making a bet because someone throws a bunch of stats from the past at you. Detailing how a team has fared against the spread in their last 20 games really only tells you what DID happen, but should not be taken as an indicator of what WILL happen. I'm kicking myself for being talked out of betting on 15-point underdog Ohio at Northern Illinois.

Monday night, the upcoming weekend

No plays on either of this week's Monday games, but I will watch the Chargers/Raiders game, because I'm sort of a San Diego fan.

I'm going to take a closer look at the early college lines Monday and see what looks worthwhile. The first thing I see is West Virginia favored by 15 at home on Thursday night against Maryland. My first thought is that it is very tempting to bet West Virgina in this one, but I need to do a little research on Maryland first.

See the Glossary/FAQ page for definitions of terms and numbers.

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